Happy 5th birthday, Android!

Half a decade since the HTC G1 was announced, Android is bigger than anyone could've imagined

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the launch of the first commercially-available Android handset, the HTC G1. With how quickly the pace of Android development moves along, it's hard to think that the operating system is just (in all practical sense) just five years old. Back in those days we were excited that the G1 had HSUPA data and thought that the keyboard was the best thing since sliced bread.

You still had a horribly ugly interface by today's standard, could only use one Gmail account per device and had to use a USB adapter to plug your headphones into the G1 ... but nobody really cared, this was the future. Now over 1 billion Android devices have been activated, and we're not looking back.

Happy 5th birthday, Android!

The G1 had, and still has, amazing build quality. I take mine out on special occasions like this just to remind myself how far we've come, but also how solid a foundation the platform had. The G1 is still a functional phone, if you've got apps old enough to fit. A little slow but with Froyo it can still get you through the day. I even miss the trackball on my newer phones. Happy 5th to Android and the G1!

I didnt have a G1 but i was early to the Android party with my HTC hero with Sprint. Ironically at that time, i was debating between a Palm Pre, the BB touchscreen phone and the Hero. One of the best decisions i have made in my life. Have never looked back since. Back then i had an iPod touch for my music but once google play came out iTunes was finally removed from my comp. What a long way Android has come. Here's to another five years and beyond.

Happy Birthday Android. 5 years ago you were an ugly duckling and the iPhone was the Apple of my eye. Over time you've changed and grew into a wonderful mature OS that has won me over along with your sexy curves on the HTC One. Thank you Android. Thank you.

I still remember when android was in its early stages when I was in middle school and I tried convincing my friends that it was better than iOS. I couldn't get a phone at the time and I wanted some kind of smart device but there were no good android mp3 players and tablets were wayyyyy to expensive. So I had to get an iPod touch. Worst $250 I ever spent. After that I realized how bad apple was and I wanted an android device sooooo badly but I couldn't get one. Then when Samsung announced the tab 2 the end of my freshman year of highschool I went and got it and I fully realized how great android is. I have since gotten another tablet (nook HD+) and the galaxy s3 but I will soon be upgrading to the moto x. And that ipod touch? It hasn't been charged in about a year. Android has come so far since I first started following it (2.1 I think it was at) and ever since I have thought of it as the greatest mobile os out there. I can't wait to see what is in store for the next five years. Happy birthday android and I hope you see many many more in years to come!

So much has changed in five years. And that G1 sure looks thick and heavy, which is probably the reason I wasn't interested in Android or HTC until two years later when I got the EVO 4G. I think I was using a Blackberry Curve five years ago. I dumped BB for a touchscreen, and I've been happy with Android ever since.

Now hold on just a sec, I wouldn't say that nonbody would have ever thought android would be this big! Are you kidding me! I was screaming it from the roof tops, as soon as I got my hands on the G1!!!! A whole lot of us knew it from the beinging. Just casue y'all didn't have the foresight, don't throw us in that same boat hahaha!

Android sure has come a long way in 5 years. I remember seeing it on the original beta devices. While it's likely I'll be switching to an iPhone (my vow was Nexus or nothing on Verizon) I'll still have my trusty Nexus 7. Maybe in the future I'll come back to Android on my phone. It's still my favorite OS.

WebOS is like James Dean. He died young before his rogue charm lost its effect. People tend to exaggerate his abilities and impact because he is frozen in time to us. Same with the ill-fated operating system.

What a great day to announce KitKat! This would be a great opportunity to announce the 5th Nexus phone too. If only KitKat remained KeyLimePie and 5.0, this would have been a "triple 5" for them! I'll just keep on dreaming that they announce they press conference this week.

Happy Birthday Android. I wish you less apples, many more deserts and a ton of little Nexus to expand the family.

All 5 people with 5 o'clock shadows, chewing "5" gum, listening to 5 finger death punch, and at exactly 5, when the nexus 5 is announced, they must simultaneously perform the 5 point palm exploding heart technique on each other, take 5 steps, and...

Wait... sorry..... kinda took that in a darker direction at the end there.... B-)

It's only been 5 years? Wow, seems a lot longer. I remember the buzz about the G1 before it launched. The tech crowd was darn near wetting themselves over what could be. Of course I had to get the G1 on launch day. Haven't used another OS since. Happy Birthday Android! Many, many more.

Looks like apple has been touching it, every year they are copying more and more from android. Wonder what would happen if Google took it from open but only charge their oem's 1$ for licensing and others approved to use it, just to keep apple from copying its features.

Even more remarkable -- Android didn't get rolling in the market until the Droid hit Verizon and the Hero & Galaxy hit Sprint, etc. That was more than a year after the G1 on T-Mobile. So you could say that most of Android's progress has occurred in less than four years. I bet Android's current position far exceeds even Google's wildest expectations.